Recently, a thermoelectric power-generating technology for which the system is simple and can be down-sized has been specifically noted as a power recovery technology for unharnessed exhaust heat energy that is generated from fossil fuel resources and others used in buildings, factories, etc. However, thermoelectric power generation is, in general, poorly efficient in power generation, and therefore, studies and developments are being actively made for improving power generation efficiency in various companies and research institutes. For improving power generation efficiency, it is indispensable to enhance the efficiency of thermoelectric conversion materials, and for realizing it, it is desired to develop materials having a high electrical conductivity comparable to that of metals and having a low thermal conductivity comparable to that of glass.
A thermoelectric conversion characteristic can be evaluated by a figure of merit Z (Z=σS2/λ). Here, S means a Seebeck coefficient, σ means an electrical conductivity (reciprocal of resistivity), and λ means a thermal conductivity. Increasing the value of the figure of merit Z improves the power generation efficiency, and for enhancing the efficiency in power generation, it is important to find out a thermoelectric conversion material having a large Seebeck coefficient and a large electrical conductivity σ, and having a small thermal conductivity λ.
In general, the thermal conductivity λ and the electrical conductivity σ of a solid substance can be designed using the density of the material and the carrier concentration as parameters; however, the two physical properties are not independent of each other owing to the Wiedemann-Franz law but coordinate closely with each other, and therefore, in fact, it has heretofore been impossible to significantly improve the figure of merit. Given the situation, Patent Literature 1 proposes a thermoelectric conversion material that has been prepared by introducing a large number of supermicropores into the inside of a semiconductor material as dispersed therein at intervals equal to or smaller than the mean free path of electrons and phonons, so as to make the material porous to thereby reduce the thermal conductivity and increase the Seebeck coefficient thereof. According to Examples in Patent Literature 1, the thermal conductivity reduced but the electrical conductivity also reduced (the resistivity greatly increased), and the non-dimensional figure of merit ZT (as calculated at T, absolute temperature, 300 K) increased from 0.017 to 0.156 through porous structure formation, but the situation is that the absolute value is remote from the index value for practical use, ZT≥1.
Patent Literature 2 discloses that, when a thermoelectric conversion material is formed into thin lines according to a nanoimprinting method, then the figure of merit thereof can be improved, in which, however, the reduction in the thermal conductivity of the material is small, and the material could not still provide sufficient performance.